The present invention relates to a reaction apparatus which can be used for a variety of reactions by heating a small amount of solution. Particularly, the present invention relates to a method for immobilized DNA library preparation, a method for gene amplification, a method for comparing genes systematically, an apparatus therefor and immobilized DNA library therefore.
Conventionally, a polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) method has been broadly utilized as means for amplifying genes. In the PCR method, a tube-shaped plastic reaction container which is filled with reaction solution is inserted into an aluminium block and so on with a cap for preventing the reaction solution from evaporating. The temperature of the aluminium block is periodically changed to a thermal metamorphic temperature, an annealing temperature and a DNA synthetic temperature in order. Such a thermal control cycle is repeated for a predetermined number of times.
However, in the conventional PCR method, the device used is a plastic reaction container which has relatively high thermal capacity and relatively low thermal conductivity. Further, the thermal control is operated with respect to an aluminium block itself. Therefore, a long time is required for heating/cooling. A target duplicated amount of DNA is relatively low, since thermal control of the reaction solution is not operated completely.
A purpose of the present invention is to resolve the above drawbacks and to provide an apparatus for gene amplification having simple operation wherein a step of heating/cooling can be operated rapidly and a thermal cycle of the reaction can be shortened. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for amplifying genes.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for comparing genes systematically using the above apparatus.
An apparatus for preparing immobilized DNA library according to the present invention is an apparatus comprising a reaction body on which a groove portion for receiving a container is provided and a cap portion provided at an upper portion of the reaction body with means for heating/cooling and means for cooling, wherein the apparatus is characterized in that the container is made of at least one substrate which has been chemically modified.
A gene amplifying apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus comprising a reaction body on which a groove portion for receiving a container is formed. A cap portion is provided at an upper portion of the reaction body with means for heating/cooling and means for cooling, wherein the apparatus is characterized in that the container is made of at least one substrate for immobilizing genes. In these apparatus, it is preferable that the substrates are solid-state substrates and the container is a separable type and a cassette type.
In a method for temperature control by the apparatus for amplifying genes according to the present invention, the method is characterized that a signal from a temperature measuring portion 61 is input to a computer control portion 64 and the computer control portion 64 compares the information input the signals and program chart previously input so that a thermal control portion 62 of means for heating/cooling 51 and a thermal control portion 63 of means for cooling 52 can be driven.
In a method for temperature control by the apparatus for amplifying genes according to the present invention, the method is characterized that a signal from a temperature measuring portion 61 is input to a computer control portion 64 and the computer control portion 64 compares with the signals and program chart previously input so that a thermal control portion 62 of means for heating/cooling 51 and a thermal control portion 63 of means for cooling 52 can be driven.
The substrates for immobilizing DNA according to the present invention are characterized in that the substrates are utilized in the above apparatuses.
A method for preserving the substrates in a refrigerator according to the present invention is characterized in that the substrates for immobilizing DNA is preserved in the refrigerator.
A method for comparing genes systematically according to the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of DNA-immobilized libraries are set in a container.